Official Secrets
by SweetlyDesolated
Summary: Ruska never imagined starting a job as a nurse in St. Dominic's would bring certain secrets into the light. Especially when those secrets were about her one-time friend Alex Rider. AR/OC
1. Part I

**Title:** Official Secrets

**Author:** SweetlyDesolated

**Category:** Alex Rider; one-shot

**Warnings:** Mentions of violence and body harm

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Alex Rider and Co., no matter how much I beg.

**Claimer:** Ruska Slaton is mine.

**Summary:** Ruska never imagined starting a job as a nurse in St. Dominic's would bring certain secrets into the light.

* * *

The thick packet of paper slid before her. "If you would, please sign and initial on all of the flagged areas." The man settled back in his chair and Ruska sighed. She glanced down, and was very surprised. Her expression must have shown as the man, her soon-to-be boss, explained, "You can't work here without signing those secrecy forms."

Ruska nodded and picked up the pen. This was the last form between her and working at St. Dominic's, the prestigious hospital she had wanted to work for once the idea caught in her mind in her early teenage years. The packet of paper was thicker than it looked, as it was multiple forms with carbon copies underneath. Ruska guessed they would be filed away somewhere different, if she needed to sign the Official Secrets Act of the Government in order to work at a hospital.

The pages slipped by, and Ruska sat back in her chair with a pleased grin. The man smiled back at her and shuffled the act together in a neat pile, opened a drawer in his desk, set them inside, and locked it tight. He stood and walked around the desk, holding his hand out to her. "Congratulations, Ms. Ruska Slaton, you are now officially an employee of St. Dominic's Hospital for Government Agency Workers."

Ruska stood and shook the man's hand. The name was a little surprising, but she could understand the secrecy behind it. "I'll have someone show you the ropes. With the amount of chaos around, I'm sure you'll be acquainted with everything and everybody in no time.

"Thank you, Mr. Roshville, for this opportunity," she said as he led her from his office. She was gestured to precede the man down the hallway and sounds amplified as she approached the main center of the hospital. Ruska entered the room with a grin. This was her future, and it was something she was proud of.

* * *

The next few months passed quickly as Ruska acclimated to her new work hours and the secrecy involved. If someone neat, such as a person high up in the government, came into the hospital, she was unable to tell her family she had treated him or her, instead saving the thrill for herself and new nurse friends to enjoy.

A few nights previous had been an excitement, as one of the high-ups in MI6, the Special Operatives, had been admitted for torture wounds. Now, three days later, Ruska was being assigned to check and redress his wounds if the agent was to be checked out that day. His doctor had already signed the discharge papers, but his wounds needed to be looked over once more. She was a bit puzzled, as three days seemed a short time to be held for treatment, but Ruska dutifully gathered the charts.

The name caught her attention – A. Rider – and the agent's age – twenty-three – her age. She remembered a teen at her old school, a young Rider who had been absent a lot and came back to class with wounds of all sorts. Was this the same A. Rider?

Ruska smiled at her folly. Of course it wasn't the same. Alex Rider, trouble maker, had shaped up between their fifteenth and sixteenth years. No more disappearances and long absences, though Ruska briefly remembered him becoming emancipated after his guardian died in a car crash.

She chased her memories away and gathered the materials needed from one nurse cart of many stationed through the hallways. She followed the ascending numbers until she found the room, 9, matching up to the one on her chart. With a polite knock to the door frame, Ruska entered the room with a bright smile. The figure on the bed smiled wearily back as his conversation with two buff men in military fatigues broke off their speech.

Her happy smile disappeared as she truly assessed who this person laying on the bed was. Ruska steadied herself against the door frame as the thought zoomed through her mind. _It is him; it is Alex Rider!_

Gathering herself, Ruska entered the room. According to her, Alex and the men never noticed her falter. "It's good to see you again, Alex, though certainly not under these circumstances," Ruska commented once she had helped her sometimes-friend to sit up so she could redress his back. The two men had continued their conversation in the hall when they saw the nurse was there to treat the young man.

"Excuse me, but who are you?" Alex asked her.

Ruska smiled. "I'm Ruska Slaton; we went to school together." Her eye brows rose as she assessed the slash marks along his back. A few were deep, though stitched together well, but Ruska was surprised all the same that he was getting checked out. She set aside the blood-stained bandages and opened the gentle cleaning salve. With a steady hand, she smeared the paste over the wounds. The antiseptic scent irked her nose, though Ruska ignored it as all of the wounds along Alex's well-muscled back (hey, she could still admit he had a nice body even under the torture marks) were covered.

Alex made no sound as his wounds were treated. He was a little surprised that Ruska Slaton, a girl he had been somewhat friends with in school, was now a nurse at the hospital of secrets. Her hands were steady against his back as the slashes were disinfected and tightly wrapped with bandages that were secured across his chest.

Ruska helped her patient to lay back on the bed. Alex's features relaxed as the numbing properties in the paste set to work, erasing the itching and pain from the gashes. "I never thought I'd see you again," Alex commented as Ruska gathered her materials.

She smiled over at him. "So I take it you're an official secret?"

Alex nodded. "I have been for a while now."

"I'll just complete your papers and you'll be free to go," Ruska said, suddenly serious as the men entered the room again.

Alex smirked his thanks as the soldiers helped him out of the bed and ushered him into the bathroom to clothe in civilian wear rather than hospital garb. The pile of papers attached to the clip board at the foot of his bed was flipped through quickly; Ruska checked off various boxes and signed at the 'x' at the bottom, displaying that the patient had been looked over and could legally leave.

On a separate piece of paper, Ruska wrote:

_Here's my number if you ever need to talk._

_After all, you're an Official Secret. I'm privy to those Secrets now._

_Ruska Slaton_

With one last glance to the men standing outside the bathroom, Ruska left the slip on the rumpled bedspread and left the room.

* * *

Yeah, I really have no idea what goes on in hospitals. The only time I was really there was for birth and treatment for my condition which was after I was born. My brother visits the ER yearly, but I never go. If anyone has any corrections, please leave them in a NICE review :)

Thanks for reading!

~Deso


	2. Part II

**Official Secrets, Part II**

_Due to many anxious reviewers, here is part two. I am unsure if it is what you are looking for, but this is what line my muse decided to feed me. Here is where the rating goes up to T, for implications. Enjoy!_

_~Deso_

* * *

She hadn't been expecting the phone call, considering it had been months since she had given Alex her phone number. By this time, she figured he didn't need or want to talk to Ruska. She was wrong.

Ruska was woken one morning, around seven. Since it was her day off, she decided to sleep in, rather than be up at the crack of dawn. "Hello?" she mumbled into the cell phone, which was kept on her bed stand. Her iHome and pager, in easy reach should she need to go to the hospital for an emergency, were there as well.

"Ruska Slaton?" a man asked on the other line.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Yeah, that's me," she replied. She quickly shifted the phone to see the person calling had an unknown number. _If this is some telemarketer, they've gotten smarter_.

"It's Alex. Alex Rider."

Ruska woke right up at his name. Really, she hadn't expected him to call at all.

"Is this a bad time?" he questioned when Ruska didn't say anything.

Her face heated up with an embarrassed blush. "No, sorry about that. It's as good a time as any. I figure I should wake up about now, just in case I'm called in to work."

She heard Alex's laughter through the line. "Well, since I gather it's your day off, how about we meet to discuss your Official Secret?"

A date? "That sounds good," she commented. Ruska smiled happily and shucked the covers off her lower half. She stood unsteadily, waiting for the blood to continue its path, and finally walked in the direction of her kitchen. A few button presses later started up the coffee machine, and the delicious scent filled the air of her apartment.

"How about you meet me at this address around six tonight?" he asked. He rattled off an address, which Ruska was quick to copy on a napkin with an eyeliner pencil. It was the only writing utensil that was sharp enough to write with.

"Okay, that works for me. So I'll see you at six?"

"Yeah, six o'clock." She heard Alex's smile through the line. It was unusual considering the entire conversation was exchanged with her sleepy voice and his bland one, empty of emotion.

Alex hung up first, and Ruska was left standing in her kitchen gazing down at a scribbled-on napkin. The address was in a residential neighborhood. She was surprised, as Ruska had figured all of the MI6 employees lived close to their headquarters in case anything happened. She shrugged and set her phone on the counter. A quick glance at the coffee maker told her there was time to take a shower, so she did, stripping out of her bedclothes on the way to the bathroom.

After a nice, relaxing shower, Ruska dressed and poured a cup of the drink, sipping at it slowly. Sure, she had grown up in London, but a trip to the States when she was younger had gotten her more addicted to coffee than tea, which was why she preferred to drink it in the mornings for a daily dose of caffeine.

She spent her day cleaning up the place, as she was at work more often than her apartment. She went to the store and bought food for when she was home, and eventually it was time for her to leave for Alex's home. The neighborhood she drove through was semi-familiar, mostly refreshing images from her teenage years. Ruska found Alex's house soon after and saw that it was quite large with a cared-for lawn included. She saw no cars in the driveway, but figured the spy parked in the garage.

Ruska pulled up in the driveway, stopped her car, and locked it behind her as she advanced towards the front door. With no visible hesitation, she confidently rang the door bell. Ruska heard it chime within the house, and a few moments later she heard a few deadbolts unlock.

Alex opened the door with a small smile, which Ruska returned. He said, "Hey Ruska. Come on in." He stepped aside while glancing over her shoulder to the street.

Ruska entered the house and saw it was neatly done, though there were few, if any, personal touches that she could identify. She figured it was something about being a spy, in order to prevent recognition from robbers or ill-meaning people.

He led her into a comfortable room without saying a word and took a seat on a comfortable-looking couch. Ruska sat on an armchair next to it and sunk deep in it with a _squeak!_ Alex laughed and told her, "I had forgotten I put that chair to irk my unit members. Eagle falls for it all the time, considering there's multiple covers for the cushions. Why don't you sit over here?" He gestured to the couch space next to him.

Ruska smiled gratefully and heaved herself up with quite a bit of effort. She crossed the short distance, slipped out of her sandals, and curled her feet under her bum, her back to the arm of the couch as she faced her old friend. "How have you been these past couple of months? How are the wounds on your back?"

His arms stretched out a little, and Ruska watched. He had a very fit back, which she saw as his shirt's fabric pulled tight over it. "I've been better. Work is really hectic right now, as my employers are working on ending the organization who tortured me. Other than that, I've been fine. Some of the deeper lashes pull from time to time, but I figure that pain will disappear now that I have somewhat of a break."  
"Oh?" Ruska asked, curious.

He grinned bashfully and changed his position so he was facing her. "My bosses gave me the week off to rest. They're also sending me to therapy once again. That, unfortunately, will continue even after I return to training with the SAS next weekend."

Ruska pouted. "You're lucky in that matter. I only get a day off every two weeks, and even then I'm sometimes called in if there are a lot of problems at the hospital."

"How did you get involved in that branch of medicine, working at St. Dominic's?" Alex questioned her.

She saw him relax minutely as the conversation wore on. "I always wanted to work at a hospital, so I went to med school for that. Then, a job offering came from the place. It wasn't until I was signing the Official Secrets Act that I learned who exactly the hospital was for. To be truthful, I wasn't expecting to run into you, Alex Rider. How did you begin working with the government?"

Alex smiled a little, his teeth white against his tan skin. "My father was a spy, my mother a nurse at St. Dominic's, much like you. When they were killed in a plane explosion, my uncle took me in. He, coincidentally, also worked for MI6, and raised me to be a spy. When he was killed nine years ago, when we were fourteen, they hired me to complete his case. After that hectic year, where I nearly flunked out of school, we worked out a deal and I only went on missions during breaks. I've been working for them ever since."

At some point during Alex's speech, Ruska had leaned back with a disbelieving expression. _So that's where he went._

"Yeah, I know, it's pretty crazy, isn't it? And when Jack, my guardian, was killed in a car accident, the government emancipated me on the condition I would continue to work until I was of age."

"Didn't they realize that employment of a minor was illegal?" she wondered.

Alex grinned. "Well of course. But since I had the highest success rate of any agent, the Prime Minister overlooked that fact."

Ruska shook her head at the absurdity of it. "That's crazy," she commented.

"It's my life," Alex shot back, his grin softening the words. "Are you hungry? I have some soup I made earlier. Ben says it's pretty good, and no one has died yet from it."

"What is it?" Ruska asked as she stood and followed her spy friend into his kitchen.

"It's three-cheese tortellini with basil and tomatoes. The spices are my secret," he responded teasingly.

Ruska took her dish and sat, soon joined by Alex. They ate along with more conversation, mostly around what they had been doing the past five years since graduation. Eventually the duo curled up on the couch with two glasses and a bottle of wine, words flowing easily.

A slightly drunk Ruska stood up from the couch an hour or so later. "I should get home as I have work in the morning," she claimed when Alex questioned her.

"That's right, I had forgotten," he said with a small flush. Alex was tipsy too, Ruska guessed.

She stumbled a bit as she slid on her sandals, and was sure to hold on to the walls as she made her way to the front door. Alex laughed and told her, "You should probably just stay here tonight; friends don't let friends drive drunk."

Ruska laughed and replied, "If you're sure." He caught her, barely, as she turned to head deeper in the house.

"And apparently I'm not as sober as I thought," Alex murmured, hardly audible to Ruska.

"What?" she questioned, her expression confused.

His head dipped down and caught her mouth in a kiss.

~o~o~o~o~o~

She woke in the morning with a pounding headache and gritty eyes. Ruska groaned and leaned into the naked person behind her. Wait a moment – naked body, hangover – "We got drunk and had sex last night, didn't we?" she dead panned.

"Not so loud," Alex complained. "I guess so."

Ruska rolled over and faced her friend. "Will it be a one night stand, something more, or friends with benefits?" she returned with a smirk over her mouth.

Alex grimaced. "With my job, I am unable to be faithful, as I have had to sleep with clients in the past," he said.

She smiled. "And people are never really single when working in a hospital." A buzzing sounded next to the bed – Ruska's pager, and what had woken her. She rolled over and glanced at it. "Ugh, I have to go in; there are some training issues," she complained, slipping out of the covers. "Shower?" she asked, naked and uncaring. Alex's eyes glancing up and down her body made her smirk and pose briefly, much to his amusement.

"I'll show you," Alex responded, climbing out of his own side of the large bed. She eyed the scar-covered skin as the man led her to the bathroom. A few of the younger lashes, those she had treated, were pink with new skin and slightly bumpy to touch.

After their eventful shower, Ruska dressed in her clothes from the previous night, which had been strewn over the bedroom. "It's okay," she told Alex when he offered her something fresh to wear, "I have a change of clothes in my locker."

They went down the stairs, where Alex pecked Ruska on the cheek. "I'll call you on my next day off?" Ruska asked him.

"Sure," he replied, opening the door.

"See you around, Alex."

"And you, Ruska," he told her, shutting the door behind Ruska as she left down the walk.

* * *

Yes, it's a kind-of abrupt ending, but it gives the sense that Ruska and Alex will be meeting more. Who knows, maybe they'll end up married. Please review!

The "friends don't let friends drive drunk" comes from (source unknown) so I claim no credit.

Any medical-related stuff comes from _Grey's Anatomy_ and is possibly inacurate.

If you have come across any interesting Harry Potter/Pirates of the Caribbean crossovers, leave me a message!

~Deso


End file.
